27 Best Nightlife in Denmark

This bohemian institution, which first opened in 1922, is popular among intellectuals, artists, and the LGBT community for its cocktails. Every day a pianist plays on the grand piano, and every Sunday there's live jazz.

Around since the 1720s, Hviids Vinstue attracts all kinds, young and old, singles and couples, for a glass of wine or cognac in its atmospheric basement with dark, wooden furniture, stained-glass windows, and leather couches.

A must for jazz lovers. This is Copenhagen's quintessential jazz dive, with sagging curtains, impenetrable smoke (although there is a room for smokers), nights that turn into mornings without you noticing it, and hepcats.

Some of the bigger names in Danish music (pop, rock, and urban) and budding artists from abroad play at this medium-size venue in Christiania, which is run by volunteers and known for spotting the next big thing on the international alternative rock and indie scene. Covers range from DKr 50 to DKr 350.

Ruby was one of the first serious cocktail bars to open up in Copenhagen, and it's still one of the best. Inside an unmarked building, Ruby feels more like a private party in a luxury apartment than a cocktail lounge. It buzzes with a mixed clientele. The cocktail bars Lidkøb and Brønnum are run by the same team.

This club's known for its live-music performances.

This cozy café and bar was one of the first hip places to open on Istedgade, and it's still a favorite among locals.

The Brew Pub microbrewery and restaurant has a beer garden. There are 11 beers on tap as well as a beer-sampler menu and dishes made using beer.

For a quiet evening, stop by Café Biografen for an espresso, beer, or light snack, or settle in to see one of the films screened here.

The friendly Café Jorden has a brass-and-wood bar and a heated outdoor terrace with a red awning. Students and young professionals mix with the chatty bar staff, who like to sing along to the pop and rock classics.

The Café Under Masken, next door to the Royal Hotel, is the creation of Aarhus artist Hans Krull, who also designed the iron sculptures at the entrance to the hotel. The surreal bar is crammed with every type of mask imaginable, including grinning Balinese wooden masks and black-and-yellow African visages. Pygmy statues and stuffed tropical birds and fish line the shelves, and the back wall is lined with aquariums filled with exotic fish. Everything was collected by Krull and bar patrons. As the manager puts it, "Everyone's welcome. This bar is a no-man's-land, a place for all the 'funny fish' of the world." If that's not enough of a draw, consider that the drink prices are some of the lowest in town, and more than 30 kinds of beer are on offer. It's open Monday through Saturday until 2 am and Sunday until midnight.

At night Café Zirup is a modern and busy hangout. The café has a good variety of sandwiches and a popular "hangover" brunch.

The small Centralhjørnet is in a house that dates from 1802. Now a bar catering to gays and lesbians, it has a busy events calendar with drag shows, live music, and holiday-themed events.

Charlie's Bar is a small, no-frills establishment that has 19 drafts, six of which are cask-conditioned ale—unfiltered, unpasteurized beer served from casks. There's a wide range of international and Danish beer, including the house lagers Hancock and Thisted.

DJs, live bands, and comedians fill up the calendar at this disco chain.

The large Copenhagen Jazzhouse attracts international names to its chic, modern, barlike interior. The downstairs concert hall turns into a dance club on Friday and Saturday after the jazz acts end. You can buy tickets at the door starting an hour before it begins.

Dexter has all kinds of jazz—from Dixieland to fusion—Friday and Saturday nights.

A mixed-age crowd hits this dance club, which serves some great cocktails.

Aalborg's new cultural center and concert hall in the city's expanding waterfront offers music in every genre, including gospel, rock 'n' roll, classical, experimental, and opera. There's also a café on the premises.

This major cultural center in Aalborg houses a cinema, theater, concert hall, and sports center in a soaring revamped industrial space. Nordkraft's own Azzura restaurant is a good place for a pre- or post-concert dinner.

Popular with gay women and men, Oscar is a relaxed spot for a drink or a cup of coffee and a chat with locals.

The city's sole casino is at the Radisson SAS Limfjord Hotel.

Rock Caféen is for serious rock-and-roll lovers, with occasional metal, punk, and grunge concerts.

Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and slot machines are all available at this casino, the only one in town.

Aalborg's finest British-style beer pub, where everything from temperature to the proper glass is given utmost attention. More than 20 beers and ales on tap (or seved straight from the cask) and many others by the bottle, including beers from the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark.

In this three-story complex, Store Vega is where larger concerts are held; Little Vega hosts smaller concerts and turns into a nightclub on Friday and Saturday. Next door is Ideal Bar, a good place to have a drink on your way in or out of Vega.